The present invention relates to fiber optic connectors and, more particularly, inspection apparatus and methods for fiber optic connectors.
Existing standards call for 100% video inspection of all fiber optic connections. This is problematic in that existing instruments only “see” a limited surface area of a fiber optic connector, which means that cleaning is often ineffective.
Existing devices range between 100× and 400× magnification and have a field of view limited to a small two-dimensional area of the fiber optic connector. These surfaces are typically considered in designated Zones 1-2-3 or A-B-C-D. As example, such are limited to a small two-dimensional portion of a horizontal surface that can be 250-300 microns of a 2500 micron area and are noted by international standards such as IEC 61300-3-35.
Existing inspection devices for fiber optic connectors are limited to visual inspection of only a small area of a two-dimensional surface of the connector. They are therefore ineffective at being unable to visualize locate, and thereby remove contamination of the connector. The new invention expands existing standard surface viewing to include the complete horizontal surface, greater than the 250-300 micron ‘field of view’ noted as Zone-4. Zone-5 as considered by this invention adds the third dimension of a ‘vertical ferrule’ as well as other connector surfaces such as an ‘adapter’ that connects two fiber connections and an ‘alignment sleeve’ that assures critical match for error free transmissions.
As can be seen, there is a need for improved fiber optic inspection devices and methods that permit visualization of the complete connector and increase the technician's ability to locate and clean “contamination points” in the connector. These include a total ‘horizontal end face ferrule surface’, a ‘vertical ferrule surface’, and other sectors that include ‘adapters’, ‘alignment sleeves’, and inter-surfaces heretofore not previously seen in common installation applications.
Heretofore, the only means to observe the three-dimensional nature of contamination was use of an interferometer. The rotating adapter enable digital images of the fiber optic surfaces and combine common video inspection with an interferometer with the result of a ‘virtual 3D image of both contamination and connector surfaces and enables accurate photography.